Investigations on the crude mixture of "thermorubins" from thermoactinomyces antibioticus has led to the isolation of a new component namely thermorubin B. This material is under intensive study to determine its structure - the first method of choice will be X-ray diffraction analysis. In the synthetic area attempts to find an easy route beta, beta, beta-trihaloethyl phenol ethers has failed so far. This group would be an ideal protecting group in the case of electrophilic substitution reactions of phenols. Attempts to O-alkylate phenols with beta, beta-dichloroethyl - and beta, beta-difluoro - beta-chlorethyl trifluoromethyl sulfonates is underway. A new and simple method for the synthesis of 1, 3 - dihydroxyxanthones has been developed. This consists in heating a phloroglucinol with a salicylic acid in a mixture of phosphorus pentoxide and methanesulfonic acid. The yields are high and the isolation procedure simple. Extension of this reaction to other systems is being examined.